2020 Volume 2 Issue 3 Pages 186-195
Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the methods used for maintenance of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) catheters by nurses and the catheter replacement intervals in hospitals and facilities covered by long-term care insurance in Japan.
Subjects and methods: A questionnaire was sent to nurses at 2,000 randomly selected hospitals and facilities covered by long-term care insurance.
Results: A total of 287 facilities that used PEG catheters responded. The most common mean catheter replacement interval was 1 month or longer for the balloon type and 4 months or longer for the bumper type. Filling unused catheters with water was a common method for preventing contamination and blockage, while flushing catheters with water was commonly regarded as effective for removing contaminants. Facilities that replaced balloon-type catheters at 1 month or longer were significantly more likely to employ a part-time certified nutritionist than facilities that exchanged them within 1 month (p=0.02).
Conclusion: Allocation of an appropriate number of nutritionists who work cooperatively with nurses can extend PEG catheter use. Also, filling the catheters with water when unused and flushing them with water when contaminated are commonly used measures in PEG catheter management.
